Left Socks, Door Knobs, and Broken Piggy Banks
by skwirelygurli
Summary: Austin has tried for so long to convince himself that Ally is just his best friend. Will Ally's new boyfriend change his mind? Auslly.


**Left Socks, Door Knobs, and Broken Piggy Banks; an Austin & Ally oneshot**

**I do not own Austin & Ally. This is a bit different than what I usually do, so be sure to review and let me know what you think!**

He makes her laugh until her sides split and he has to wrap his arm around her to make sure she doesn't double over.

He cradles her head against his chest when she's falling asleep because she should have left hours ago.

He rushes ahead of her to open the door.

His name is Topher Walkin. As in _walk in and steal the love of Austin's life. _He likes to call him Topher the Gopher because he gets this slight whistle when he talks.

As her best friend, he knows he shouldn't kid. He knows that her boyfriend makes her happy. But he also knows that Topher doesn't have a lick of musical talent in his body, and music makes Ally happy.

Austin could make Ally happy.

And he does, in a best friend kind of way. He just wishes it was in a romantic kind of way too.

But apparently she doesn't feel the same way. Not that he's ever asked her. But if she's dating some guy, who isn't him, doesn't that say it already?

He should be happy for her.

That smile he puts on when she gushes about how he asked permission before kissing her, because he's quite the gentleman. It should be real.

That urge to hug her longer when she leaves for her dates, just because he doesn't want her to leave him. It shouldn't be there.

He does what he shouldn't and doesn't what he should and it tears him up inside.

It tears him up that she's not the type to forget her friends when she gets a boyfriend. That she still eats lunch with him and writes music with him like nothing has changed.

Something has changed.

He misses the old days.

The days where she didn't pop a peppermint candy in her mouth after lunch, turning her lips cherry red as she sucks. Cherry red lips that kiss Topher's cheek as she passes him on her way from throwing out her trash.

The days when she could stay all night, finding the perfect chorus for his new song, and not have to leave for a dinner or movie or whatever-that-wasn't-writing-this-song date. Where he stays, staring at the practice room ceiling as she rushes out the door, because they've both agreed to work on it more tomorrow, and he wants to blows her away with his awesome music skills. The ones that Topher doesn't have.

It tears him up that he can't find a reason to hate her, because it would be so much easier than this silly crush.

This silly little crush that is anything but, because he thinks that there's a line between friendship love and love love and he's already crossed it.

It's miles behind him, underneath her feet. Her toes are over, asking if they dare move into uncharted territory. But there's a force pulling her back.

It's Topher's hand, wrapped in hers.

"Austin, there's a hole in your sock," she says.

The hole in his sock is nothing compared to the hole in his heart.

He grabs his foot to check it out. Nothing. He checks the other.

"Aww man. That's the second left sock this week."

"No worries man. You can combine the two no-holey socks to make a new pair. That way you only lose one set," Topher suggests.

He drops his foot. "No I can't. Then I'd have two right socks."

"There's no difference between right and left socks Austin."

She's wrong. Left socks are for left feet. You don't put your right sock on the left foot. And the left sock certainly does not belong on the right foot. And if you have two right socks, then one foot is not going to be properly matched and it is going to bug him until he gets a new left sock.

Somehow he doesn't think this is about socks anymore.

Topher and Ally together is like having two right socks. And he only has one right foot for one right sock.

That sock being Ally, who has a place in his life, and not Topher, who on his left foot is really starting to bug him.

Not to say that Ally is on the bottom of his foot, being squished like a bug. No, she's high above that. She's much more like his hat, keeping his mind from getting too high in the clouds.

"Austin. Earth to Moon. Do you read me?"

"Huh?"

"Oh good. I was worried for a minute. You weren't answering me." She's in front of him now.

He looks around. "Where's Topher?"

"He had to go. Dentist appointment."

Right. Because boys with perfectly white teeth need to get their teeth cleaned. How else are they supposed to get perfect smiles to steal the souls of innocent girls like Ally?

He reaches around her, grabbing his shoes.

"So I have an idea for the chorus," he says, sliding his foot into the sneaker.

"Let's hear it." She's already seated herself on the bench, and when he gets his other sneaker on, he has to turn around. His shoulder bumps hers, and it doesn't matter how many times she says that it's okay when he apologizes, because it is definitely not okay.

It's sparks.

And we're not talking those measly he got that time he shuffled across the carpet and touched the door knob to see if he'd be shocked.

No. It's firework sparks. Ones that burst in the air and then fizzle out as he remembers that she has a boyfriend.

It didn't use to be like this. He used to be able to control himself. And then stupid Topher came along, and made him insanely jealous, because Ally was his girl.

It was one thing to share his cookie with Dez when his fell in the mud. He could share his history book with Trish when she forgot hers.

But he can not share Ally with another guy. He wants her all to himself. He wants to be the one to feel her shake beneath his hands as she laughs. He wants to be the chest that her head rests on when they stay up too late writing music. And he wants to be the guy that treats her like royalty, opening doors and asking permission to kiss those cherry red lips.

We can't always get what we want. We get what we need.

But what if she's what he needs?

What if he needs a girl that will make him laugh and smile? What if he needs a girl that will keep him level headed and buy him a new pair of socks because his have holes?

Because she does.

He comes into Sonic Boom that next morning and she slides them across the counter.

Two socks, each one labeled. One for the right foot, one for the right.

She gets him.

He gets her, but he doesn't.

He understands her. Well, most of the time. But he doesn't get to call her his own. She's still with that boy, with his stupid sock logic and as much musical talent as a stone.

Not the Rolling Stones.

A boring, plain old stone.

So today, he buys a piggy bank. And each day, he's going to put a dollar in the bank.

And some day, that bank is going to have enough money to give Ally the date she deserves. She won't be with Topher anymore. Because really, how long can this last? This relationship between the artist and the other guy.

The other guy, who isn't him.

It's obvious that they belong together.

And he's going to show her.

But for now, all he's got is a pair of socks and an empty piggy bank.

He cannot wait to break open that piggy bank. But he will, because good things take time.

He doesn't care how long he has to wait.

She will always be worth it.


End file.
